Lubricator.



E A. KELSEY.

LUBRICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. s, 1912.

1,055,540. l atented Mar. 11, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATiiiNTy OFFICE. 1

EDGAR A. KELSEY, F MOUNT VERNON, NEW-YORK,V ASSIGNOR TO NATHAN MANUFAC- 'IURING COMPANY, 0F NEWAYORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed Au'iist s, 1912. serial No. 714,115.

- f YinnamcAron.

Patented Mar. 11,1913.

i To all whoim'z't may concern:

Beit known that I, EDGAR A. KELSEY, a

i citizen of the .United States, l'and a residentcators, ofwhich the following is a full, clear,

of Mount Vernon, county of Westchester,

, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lubriand4 exact. specification. A Y

My invention relates to lubricators and the improvement, herein set forth, and

claimedl asmy invention, is designed to proe vide eiiicient. and easily operatable means to drivev an additional, or a larger volume of lubricant, into all or any of the feed pipes of the lubricator, delivering the lubricantto ythe parts ofa machine or of an engme, whenever it may bel required', and to effect this promptly and independently of, oir `supplementarytmthe means provided in the lubricator, for automatically driving the lubricant into the feed pipes; also without interrupt-ing, or in any way' affecting, the otherwise automatic operation of the lubricator. Besides this, other purposes, asexplained farther on, arek effectively served, and other advantages obtained, bythe use of my invention. i

The construction of the device, and the manner of its combination with a lubricator,

Figure 1 is a fractional elevation of a typical automatic lubricator, showing the de- 'vice combined therewith; part of thecasing of the cup being broken away to disclose the oil tube, or oil'pipe as it is more commonly Y called, anda part of the detail of the device,

combined therewith, being shown in sectional view; Fig. 2 isa sectional view, partly an elevation ofthe device, and Fig. 3 a similar view showing the construction of I the piston', the socket, and of the stuffing box.

The drawings show the device combined with a lubricator of the type' used on locomotive engines, a designating the cup or'container, b the oil conduit and c', c and 02etc., the branches, connecting with the feed pipes (not shown) leading to the several `partsof the'engine; d, d, (Z2, etc., are hand wheels of the needle valves, indicated inv dott-ed lines in Fig. `l, whereby the feed of the lubricant is governed; e, e', e2, etc., are bulls eyes, set in line with the discharge points' (nozzles) of the needle valves, to render drawing, and connected "1 the booster pipe,

and byanother conduit with feed pipe, intol visible the flow of the lubricant fis a bullseye, serving in place of a gage, indicating the level of oil and water in thecup or container d; g the nipple for the filling port` ofVY the lubricator; 71., the condensinlgchamber, and i the steam pipe connecting therewith.

It is assumed, that the construct-iemand the frode of operation, of such'an automatic lubricator is well known to all familiar with" the art, and therefore, only a brief reference is made' to those of its parts, which are not necessary to be directly considered in connection with my invention. e The oil-pipe la, extending to near the apex Aof cup a is screwed in'collar c, and this collar is, in turn, screwed in the end ofthe branch conduit Z, connecting the cup a with the `conduit b, from which branches 0, c', o?, etc., lead to the feed pipes.

v The lubricant (oil) filled in the cup isl pressed by the water, entering the cup from the condensing chamber z., and flows into thel oil-pipe lc at its upper end. Then the` lubricator is in operative condition, the oil fills the oil-pipe 'z and conduit b risingin thebranches c, c',

c2, etc., from where it passes, in a measured flow, through theorices of the needle valves `(indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l) to` the feed pipes.

'The flow of the lubricant is governed by 'the hydrostatic .pressure and byy the needle valves, 'but its volume is limited not ,only by the -area of the orifices 'of these valves,'but also by the hydrostatic pressure,'acting uniformly upon 4all branches of the lubricator. Now it happens quite frequently,l that` a larger supply of the llubricant than can normally be supplied by these means, is required in someV part ,of the engine, and while this could, to .some extent, be supplied by further openingtlie regulating valve, it is not always feasible and never'prudent to do so, as thereby theadjustment of the lubricator would be disturbed, from which undesirable consequences may result, Therefore, to effect such a supplementarylubrication, without disturbing the adjustment of the lubricator, separate devices were used, heretofore, of which one, known as the auxiliary oil cup, usually set upon the cup, or con- 'tainer a, of the lubricator, shown in the by a conduit, called with the steam pipe z',

which the additional supply of lubricant is to be delivered, is most commonly employed, to enable the engineer to drive an additional supply of oil into one ofthe feed pipes, Whenever such emergency arises. This supplementary oiling device is usually provided only for the Working cylinders of the engine, and is not available for any other part. The object of referring to this, and to similar devices, employed in connection with automatic lubricators, is to show, that thenecessity for some such auxiliary devices exists, and that in the absence of a better, more suitable and more efficient apparatus, users of lubricators resort to such means, like the auxiliary cup and booster pipe to meet the essential requirement for supplementing its operation in such emergencies as often arise in the running of engines.

In devising my improvement of such lubricators, I provide a valve seat m in the upper end of the oil-pipe k, and a ball-valve n, held in operative position With the valve seat m., by the pin o, set transversely in the oil-pipe. Then the hollow pist-on j, is fitted into the oil-pipe, in the upper end Whereof a valve seat m is provided, and a ballvalve n', also held in operative position by pin o. This piston extends through the oil co-nduit b, and its stem j', joined thereto at o, through the socket Q, in a readily accessible position. On the end of stem j', a handle -r is set, and the journal of the stem is closed by the threaded cap t, containing a packing` u and serving as a stuiHng-box to prevent leaking of oil through the bearing.

y A number of apertures s are provided in the f by the handle r.

piston y' on the level of the conduit b', through which the oil flows from the cup or container a at all times, that is, Whether the dev-ice is operated, or not. The bore y of the socket g is larger in cross-sectional area than the outer diameter of the piston j, to permit discharging of the oil from the piston y' during its outward stroke.

When not used, the parts of the device are in the position shown in Fig. 2. The oil then flows, driven by the hydrostatic pressure, through the apertures in the valve seats m and m, into the piston j, and through the apertures s, into the oil conduit b,.and branches c, c', c2, etc., as explained; the lubricator acting in every Way as if the device were totally absent. When use is made of the device', the piston y' is operated A pull down draws out the piston, and a push up returns it again to the upper end. When the piston y' is pulled down (out) the resistance of the oil contained therein, sets the ball-valve a into the seat m', and an additional supply of y-oil is drawn in, from the cup a, into the oil- 'pipe at its upper terminus through the aperture in the seat m. Then upon the reversing of the motion of the piston j, valve 0 closes the aperture in the seat m and the oil in the oil-pipe 7c is forced into the piston j, and through the apertures s into the conduit. b and branches c, c', c2, etc. Each following reciprocating motion of the piston adds to the pressure upon the oil in conduit I), driving it at a greater velocity through the orifices of the needle-valves. The pumping operation is repeated as long as needed, but as a rule, two or three down and up strokes of the piston y' Will be found sufficient to force an ample additional supply of lubricating oil into the feed pipes of the lubricator. If the additional supply of oil is to be delivered to one feed-pipe only, this may be done by closing the valves of all others, or by a further opening of the valve of the one feed-pipe, into Which amore abundant, additional supply of oil is to be driven. The hydrostatic pressure upon the oil in cup a and the normal flow of oil are not disturbed by the operation of the forcing device, except, perhaps, momentarily, and the balance is quickly restored.

The described device for driving of lubricating oil into the feed pipes may be used at the start, or after refilling the cup a, if too much, orl all Water should happen to be discharged, which ordinarily prevents the operation of the automatic lubricator, until suiiicient condensation accumulates, to restore the requisite pressure.

It happens sometimes, that the nozzle of one of the branches c, c', c2, etc., becomes obstructed by a grain of some impurity, or by a coagulated particle of oil. In such a case the only heretofore available remedy was to shut off the lubricator, unscrevv the bonnet of the particular valve, remove it, and then to insert a Wire into the obstructed passage, to push out the obstruction. If the lubricator is provided with the herein shown and described improvement, such obstruction may be removed by producing additional pressure upon the oil in the conduit b by merely y reciprocating the piston j, in the same manner as above explained, or, if the obstruction should not yield, by temporarily shutting off the valve of the other feed pipes and thus concentrating the Whole pressure produced by the device upon the obstructed passage. This Will, however, be seldom necessary to be done, practical use of my improvement having demonstrated, that the oil' forcing device, constructed, as herein shown and described, is capable of exerting sufficient pressure upon the oil to force such 'casual obstructions through the nozzles of intacto bricator,- the stop-collar o set at the joint of the piston j and its stem j', is fitted into 'the seat w, at the end of the enlarged bore 'y in the socket g. Thus the collar o is made to act as a valve, closing the journal of the piston stem j', when the piston is drawn to the end of its outward stroke. The piston j may be drawn out, the handle 1- and the cap t removed, the packing replaced, the cap again screwed on and the handle attached, without disturbing the normal operation of the lubricator. It is, perhaps, needless to add, that the herein shown and described device may equally well be combined with lubricators of other Styles or constructions, besides the yone illustrated in the drawing, and that no auxiliary cup and booster pipe, or any other of the various supplementary attachments lubricator, when a devicel constructed as herein shown and described, is combined therewith.

I claim as my invention l. The combination withalubricator comprising an oil-cup or container for the lubricant, a feed conduit to where the lubricant is to be delivered, a pipe, extending into the oil-cup and communicating with the feed conduit and means for continuously driving the lubricant from the oil-cup through the pipe into the feed conduit; of a valve at the intake end of the pipe in Ithe oil cup; a hollow piston fitted into the pipe; a valve in one end of the piston and a discharge port communicating with the feed conduit in the other end, and means for reciprocating the piston in the pipe, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination with the oil-pipe and with the feed conduit of a lubricator, comprising also means for continuously driving the lubricant from the oil-cup of the lubri- -Gopies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the are required on a' cator through the oil-pipe into the feed conduit, of a valve at the intake end of the oilpipe, a hollow piston, fitted into the oil-pipe, a valve in the piston, and ports communicating with the feed conduit; and ofA means for reciprocating the piston, substantially as herein shown and described. v

3. The combination, 'with a lubricator comprising an oil-cup, or container, for the lubricant, a feed conduit to where the lubricant is to be delivered, and means for continuously driving the lubricant from the oilcup into the feed conduit, of a tube, having its intake end within they oil-cup or container and its delivery end in the oil feed conduit; a piston fitted into the tube; an inlet and a discharge valve in the piston, and means for operating the piston tol draw the oil from the oil-'cup into thefeed conduit; substantially as herein shown and described.

4. The combination, with a lubricator, comprising an oil-cup, or container, forthe lubricant, a feed conduit to where the lubricant is to be delivered, and means for continuously driving the lubricant from the oilcup into the feed conduit; of a pump, set' with its intake end within the oil-cup, and its delivery end in the feed conduit; and adapted, when not used as a pump, to conduct the lubricant dri-ven by the continuously driving means from the oil-cup into the feed conduit, and of means for operating the pump to draw the lubricant, independently of the continuously driving means, from Ythe said oil-cup, to force it into the feed conduit, substantially as herein shown and described.

EDGAR A. KELs-EY.

Witnesses:

' A. W. ANTHONY,

LEOPOLD KASSANDER.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

